Important Notice: I will be undergoing a hand surgery next week, which would inhibit my ability to type, so I would be taking a break from translating to recuperate. For now, I have scheduled release up to chapter 38. It might take probably around two months before I can resume typing normally again. (hopefully by late August or early September). Thank you for support and following the series up till now, and I hope to be able to return to translate this series as soon as possible.
After traversing a lengthy hallway, Su Jin finally reached the room designated for work matters. The design of the interior aimed for a clean and minimalist concept. From the entrance, visitors would be welcomed by the display of bookshelves aligned closely along the walls, a skillfully carved table and chairs crafted from red sandalwood, and a cozy small couch. That was everything the room contained in its layout.
Housekeeper Xiao was waiting outside the entrance, anticipating her arrival. When Su Jin entered the office, he followed behind her and placed a thick stack of accounting books onto the desk. With a frown on his face, he reported to Su Jin, “Young Mistress, these are the financial records of all the stores for the most recent month. In particular, stores in the Jiangnan region had recorded a significant drop of around 40% in their earnings compared to the first half of the month. Shall I make a trip to investigate the reason?”
Su Jin arched her brows as she received the specific ledger and perused its contents. Without raising her head, she issued her instructions, “Uncle Xiao should remain here. I require your assistance to oversee everything from the headquarters. Assign this matter to Liao An and handle it as per usual. In case of any suspicious or unusual activity, he is granted full authority to resolve the issue on the spot. No need to go through the trouble of dragging them back for my judgement. Liao An should be aware of what needs to be done. If the matter is too large for him to handle alone, he can take my letter to the Liu Family and seek assistance.”
“As you command, Young Mistress. I will convey the orders to him.”
Having addressed that issue for the time being, Su Jin lifted her head and shifted the topic, “Have there been any progress in the search for the old man’s traces?”
“Negative, Young Mistress. Liao Qing dispatched his men to all of the designated resting points and stations along the officially maintained roads to gather information and look for witnesses, but unfortunately, no one had seen anyone matching the description of our target.”
Su Jin rubbed her temples and let out a deep breath. Forget it. If the old man did not return after a month had passed, she would follow up again at that time.
She continued to review the accounts.
Her business had grown rapidly and gained recognition as one of the most popular food establishments in the industry. With the advanced wine brewing technique the system had dug out for her, the alcohol she produced far exceeded the quality of its peers produced using contemporary brewing methods. Due to production capacity constraints, her business could only produce and sell a limited quantity every month, and her business was always thriving.
Su Jin had also cultivated an extensive variety of seasonings and ingredients that were previously undiscovered or untapped in this era. Upon its debut in Fengyuan County, the hotpot immediately garnered overwhelming positive responses. Coupled with the implicit support from the County Magistrate, Su Jin’s business launched smoothly with a solid foundation, paving the path for her success.
Apart from running hotpot and spicy snack stores, her enterprise even handles upscale restaurants that cater exclusively to customers on reservation basis.
Great successes were always plagued with countless troubles. Her competitors in the industry highly coveted her secret recipes, even resorting to underhanded means. Instances of recipe thefts and the likes were frequent on a daily basis.
Hence, Su Jin exclusively hired individuals who were not previously affiliated with the industry and made her employees consent to a binding death pact to ensure that her trade secrets were not leaked. This was the same for Uncle Xiao, who had just exited the room. Two years ago, Su Jin had saved him while she was making her rounds to check on her stores.
Previously, he held the position of the head escort at an escorting agency. However, his employer had attempted to silence him following a delivery escort assignment. Except for him, who was fortunate to be discovered unconscious by Su Jin when she was passing by, all of his family members had perished in a deliberate tragic fire incident.
After that, he pledged his loyalty to Su Jin and took up the role of managing and training her subordinates. Su Jin did not probe into his personal circumstances, regarding either his mortal enemy or the secret behind the guarded goods. She simply gave him the option to freely leave anytime he wished to do so.
She did not expect that Uncle Xiao would present her with a contract which enslaved his life the next day, and he declared that he would not seek vengeance. After all, his adversary was a person who he could never dream of reaching within his lifetime. It was pointless to attempt the impossible.
Su Jin did not make any promises upon hearing his words, but she made a mental note of it, in case a suitable opportunity presents itself in the future…
……
The following day, the lively trio dashed out as if they were birds just released from captivity. Even Erbao, who was usually cool, calm and collected, found himself hastening his steps.
As long as they completed their studies in the morning, they would have the entire afternoon to themselves. Su Jin allowed them to roam about freely, and there were no limitations with regard to how they spend their free time.
From a distance away, Guaibao spotted her uncle, Su Dalang, examining the growth of chilli peppers in the field. She waved her hands to greet him, “Uncle, we came to see you.”
Su Dalang’s legs had fully recovered two years ago and he could now move freely without any problems, although he would still experience occasional discomfort on rainy days. He assisted Su Jin in tending the crops on a daily basis, keeping moderate checks on their growth progress. He found contentment in his present lifestyle.
At this moment, he was in a hunched down position while inspecting the crops when a sudden clear, young voice rang in his ears. Even before he stood up, is eyes were brimming with delight once he heard the voice of those three adorable kids.
“Hello, Uncle is in the fields. Don’t come down, your clothes will get stained with mud. Stay there and wait for me,” he said while swiftly climbing back onto the embankment.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Dabao clung to his uncle’s leg and playfully muttered, “Uncle, we want to explore the mountains, but mommy wouldn’t let us go there unless there is an adult with us. Can you bring us there?”
Guaibao appealed cutely at the other side of her uncle, nodding vigorously as her hair buns bounced in unison. Despite his silence, Erbao eagerly gazed at his uncle with his small, twinkling eyes as well.
Even a grown man like Su Dalang was powerless against a three pronged attack containing overwhelming cuteness. He deliberated between Su Jin’s instructions and the three cute little dumplings 1TL Note: ‘dumplings’ as in nickname for children or babies clinging to his leg. With his good-natured personality, Su Dalang could not bear to disappoint the kids. Reluctantly, he scratched his head and agreed with a smile.
The mountains were not dangerous in particular, as Su Jin had thoroughly eliminated all potential sources of danger in the vicinity with the assistance of the system. The primary concern was that every time the trio went up to play in the mountains, they would return with an abundance of articles they had discovered, even though there was nothing they lacked at home. Su Jin was particularly concerned about Dabao’s insane luck, which guaranteed that he would stumble across all kinds of valuable items. She had a genuine fear that he might eventually extract all of the valuable resources in the entire mountain.
At the very least, the mountains deserved some break to recuperate before raiding it again! This was the reason she forbade them from entering the mountains.
The three little rascals were elated to see their plan go well. It was a great decision as Uncle Dalang was the most approachable and easiest to talk to. They hopped around behind their uncle in joy as they headed towards the mountain.
Today, they had an important mission to accomplish. Their main intention was to check if the litter of wolf cubs they had stumbled upon earlier was still around. Erbao, who had memorized the path, took the lead, “Uncle, let’s head in this direction.”
“Hey, don’t roam around aimlessly!” warned Su Dalang. An adult and three little figures cautiously traversed through the mountains, accompanied by the snapping sound from fallen twigs covered all over the place whenever they stepped on them.
Guaibao picked up a forked-shape twig with her chubby hands, occasionally poking at random spots on the ground to entertain herself.
“Ahh-“Dabao lost his balance and almost tripped as his plump little body wobbled.
Erbao and Guaibao directed their gazes towards the sky in perfect synchronization: “…”
(Here we go again…)
Su Dalang remained clueless as he looked at Dabao anxiously and asked in a worried tone, “Are you okay, Dabao? Is the path too rough to walk on? Let uncle carry you and we can return for now. Uncle will bring you guys back another time if you want to explore again.”
Dabao quickly waved his hand and replied softly, “It is okay, I’m fine. I just tripped on that.”
Su Dalang looked in the direction that Dabao was pointing to and immediately turned speechless.
TL Corner: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do let me know in the comments or discord if there are any errors or mistakes.
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Thank you!
